EVE Technology Lab

My guess is, it's about PLEX. Generally speaking (at least in the US), a game is considered gambling only when it involves the transaction of "something of value" in return for winning. Otherwise it's just a game for lulz. I know we all value our ISK and ships and stuff, but in real world terms, they're just icons on a screen. "Something of value" is hard cash or real property - something that can directly equate to money outside of the game.

The hitch is that, from my cursory reading, one of those "somethings of value" is the extension of the ability to play a game that normally requires cash to play. For example, an online card game that costs, say, $10 per month to play. If that's all it is - a subscription to play a game - no problem. Not gambling. But let's say that you could use your winnings in this card game to offset or eliminate the subscription fee. That makes your winnings into "something of value", and legally now you're gambling.

If CCP provides direct support to chance-based ISK gaming sites, that ISK can then be turned around to buy PLEX to extend the game. Something of value. They don't have to shut DOWN the "gambling" sites, they just can't be a direct party to running them. There can't be a close enough relationship for it to be considered a full blown part of the EVE game proper.

It's a fine line, and I fear that CCP is probably being way overcautious here. But I'd be willing to bet ISK (ahem) that the legal issue is something near this nature.

This is a very tricky subject.

Like everyone, in the past i played other games.
One of them had tournaments like AT in EVE and while they allowed players from most of the world to participate, i couldn't because the laws in Quebec (Canada) are different from the laws in other provinces in the country.

I guess CCP Legal doesn't want to enter in this nightmare ...

I am by no means a lawyer, but as I understand it gambling laws do not apply to virtual gambling on the condition that the virtual goods (whether they be virtual prizes and / or currency) cannot be exchanged back to real money, which is the case in EVE. This is how games like Zynga's Texas Hold'Em etc are able to operate legally on Facebook. It sounds to me like your legal department need to give this a better looking over.

Claiming that the SSO "directly ties your EVE account to a 3rd party site" lets me know that you are one of the people that doesn't know how it works. Let me clear it up for you.

The SSO simply allows 3rd party sites to confirm the identity of a user through a secure and familiar user interface. It doesn't "link" or "tie" anything to anything.

CREST is the new API that is just like the old API except it uses a different/improved protocol ( the old API is read only, and the new api will eventually have the ability to be 2 way.... read and write). The new CREST API will allow users to grant permissions (just like the current API key system) to both read and write....the things that are able to be written have yet to be confirmed, and are still being worked on.


People can use a car to commit a crime, by your logic all cars should be illegal to own. CCP does not support or allow RMT PERIOD.


A company running a promotion that allows users to attend company events using in game currency does not automatically make it real currency. Do you think at the end of the year CCP will claim a $200 loss per ticket or will they eat the loss because ISK has "real world value"? I think it would be safe to say that they will claim the full value of the promotion as a loss. Go pay your rent/mortgage, or go buy a loaf of bread with ISK and I will reverse my view on this.


You've never been undercut on the market or lost a ship? Every time you undock you take a "gamble" that your ship will be lost. In this game you can purchase a PLEX with real money, convert it to isk, and by no fault of your own, lose it all.


The whole point of this post was to ask a Dev, because these are the people that talk to us....good luck having a meaningful conversation with the legal department.